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HISTORY 



6- 



DESCR IPTION 



Oapiiol az j^lhany 



From the "Albany Hand-Book for 1S81," to be 
Published in December, 18 SO. 



5 ♦ 



With. Pict^ire of tlig^^Completed Portion. 




ALBANY, N. Y. 

1880. 




Lith byWeed,PaTS(ms iCo-Altany W Y 



NEW GAPITuL. 



Copyright bt 



H. P. PHELPS, ^^^^ 

1880, 






THE 



c;apitol at albany 



[From the "xllbany Hand-Book for 1881,"* to be published in 
December, 1880.] 

Introductory*— The traveler in 1806-8, at au expense of $110,- 
who for the first time approaches 685.42) had been found wholly inade- 



iihe ancient city of Albany from any 
iirectiou, sees looming up before him 
I vast unfinished edifice so much 
bbove and beyond all other surround- 
ng structures, that he has no hesi- 
tation in exclaiming " It is the New 
bapitol!" Like St. Peter's at Rome, 
it needs no chaperone to announce 
ts name ; no guide-book to explain 
ts object. Its fame as the grandest 
sgislative building of modern times 
s already co-extensive with civiliza- 
I ion, and each day of the year brings 
'scores of the curious from nenr and 
I rom far to view and admire its maj- 
hstic proportions, its grandeur of 
lesign, its beauty of ornamentation; 
ind while its critics have been many, 
md not always kind, all are ready to 
oncede that it is one of the architec- 



ural wonders of 
century. 



the nineteenth 



quate, and for many years there 
was much discussion about a new leg- 
islative building and where it should 
be erected. New York city had long 
coveted the capital, but the central 
and western portions of the state, 
while not altogether satisfied with 
having it where it is, were still more 
averse to seeing it moved down the 
river. The consequence was, it re- 
mained at Albany, where it will re 
main, we may safely say, for many 
many years to come. 

The first definite action taken 
by the legislature on the subject 
was April 24, 1863, when Senator 
James A. Bell, from the committee 
on public buildings, offered a reeolu- 
tion (which was adopted) that the 
trustees of the capitol and the chair- 
man of the committee on public 
buildings be authorized to procure 



suitable plans for a new capitol, and 
History.— The old capitol (built report to the next legislature. They 

C* Copyright, H. P. Phelps, 1880. All rights reserved.] 



did so, recommending the plans sub 
mitted by Fuller & Jones. Early in 
1865, a committee was appointed by 
the senate to ascertain by corre- 
spondence with various municipali- 
ties on what terms the necessary 
ground and buildings could be ob- 
tained. New York showed her desire 
for the honor, by offering a site on 
the Battery, or at City Hall park, or 
in Tompkins square, or in Central 
park, or in any public place, and also 
proposed to erect all the necessary 
buildings free of expense to the 
state ; and, in addition, build an 
executive mansion on Fifth avenue, 
opposite Central park. Yonkers, 
Saratoga, Athens, Whitestown, Ar- 
gyle and Sing-Sing made liberal 
offers ; Buffalo, Oswego and Ithaca 
declined to entertain the proposition, 
as did Sandy Hill, 

" If," wrote the worthy president of 
that virtuous village, "the time has 
come when our capitol is to go to 
the highest bidder like most every- 
thing that has any connection with 
our present legislation, then I would 
frankly say that our people are not 
the ones to offer large bribes or 
inducements for the purpose of 
building up their place or people to 
the detriment and inconvenience of 
all the rest of the people of the 
state." 

The first committee (appointed 



April 24, 1863) had suggested in their 
propositions for plans that they 
should be made with reference to 
the square about the old building 
as the site for the new one. The 
city of Albany now offered to con- 
vey to the State the lot adjoining, 
occupied by the Congress Hall block, 
or any other lands in the city re- 
quired for the purpose. 

On the 1st of May, 1865, an act 
was passed (Chapter 648) authorizing 
the erection of a new capitol, when, 
ever the city of Albany should deed 
over the land proposed, providing 
for the appointment of three com 
missioners, and '^appropriating $10, 
000 for the commencement and pre 
secution of the work. 

On the 14th of April, 1866, the cip 
having made good its offer at an ex 
pense of $190,000, an act was passed 
ratifying and confirming the loca- 
tion of the capitol, and May 3d of 
the same year, Hamilton Harris, 
John V. L, Pruyn, of Albany, and 
O. B. Latham, of Seneca Falls, were 
appointed New Capitol Commission- 
ers. 

On the 22nd of April, 1867, an act 
was passed appropriating $250,000 
for the new capitol, but providing 
that no part should be expended 
until a plan had been agreed upon 
not to cost when completed more 
than four millions. A plan submit- 



ted by Thomas Fuller was adopted, 
and lie was appointed architect, and 

I William J. McAlpine consultino; 

1 engineer. 

Work Begun.— On the 9th of 
December, 1867, the excavating was 
begun on the corner of Hawk and 

j State streets by John Bridgford, who 
had under him 100 men. 

On the 19th of May, 1868, an act 

I was passed appropriating an addi- 
tional $250,000, and adding to the 
commission Messrs. James S. 

I Thayer, Alonzo B. Cornell, William 
A. Rice, James Terwilliger and 
John T. Hudson. The commission 
were also authorized to take as ad- 
ditional land one-half the block 
adjoining Congress Hall block on 
the west, and to change the plans 

lat their discretion, with this pro" 
>riso : That if they were so changed 
that the building would cost more 
than four millions, the commission- 

lers were not to proceed to construc- 
tion till such plans were approved 
by the legislature. 

Meantime work had been delayed 

' for a year, in order that the addi- 

' tional lands might be secured. On 
the 2nd of October, 1868, the com- 
missioners having come to the con- 
clusion that preparing the land was 
not included in the term "construct- 
ion," the demolition of houses on 
State, Washington, Spring.and Hawk 



streets was begun, and in December 
following, 400 men and 200 teams 
were employed carrying the earth 
that had been excavated and de. 
positing it down the bank at the 
corner of Swan and Canal streets. 

The Enlarged Plans, prepared 
by Fuller and l.aver. were duly re. 
ported to the legislature and ap- 
proved by act of May 10, 1869. 

The Foundation. — The first 
stone in the foundation was laid 
July 7, 1869, by John V L. Pruyn. 
This foundation, although, of course^ 
out of sight, and scarcely thought of 
by the ordinary visitor, is a wonder 
in itself. In the first place^ 
excavations were made to an average 
depth of 1543-100 feet below the 
surface. Then a bed of concrete^ 
4 feet thick, was laid constituting a 
stone floor which will grow harder 
and harder as time rolls on. The 
sub-basement extends down 19 feet 
4 inches, and contains 735,000 cubic 
feet of stone, while the brick walls 
from 32 inches to five feet thick con. 
tain between ten and eleven million 
bricks The foundation of the main 
tower is 110 feet square at the base, 
tapering to 70 leet square, at the 
basement floor. In this sub-base- 
ment are no less than 144 different 
apartments used for heating, storing 
and ventilating purposes. 

The Corner Stone was laid 



rrith great ceremony, by the grand 
lodofe of Free and Accepted Masons 
on tlie 34th of June, 1871 . The exer- 
cises took place in the midst of a 
drenching rain, but were said to 
have been witnessed by at least 
20,000 persons. Addresses were 
made by Hon. Hamilton Harris and 
Gov. John T. Hoffman. 

Since that time work has pro- 
gressed, sometimes faster and some- 
times slower, with occasionally an 
entire cessation for lack of funds 
as in 1874, when it stood still six 
months. The enterprise like all 
other great undertakings has met 
with obstructers and fault-finders 
innumerable, from the workman 
discharged for incompetency to 
the governor who called it a " public 
calamity." 

The prevalent opinion that no 
public work of this magnitude can 
be carried on without unlawful 
gains to some one, has led many to 
suppose that such is the case with 
the new capitol. Charges of various 
kinds have time and again been 
made orally and in the newspapers, 
and many tedious investigations 
have been instituted, the details of 
which it is as impossible to enter 
into here, as it is unnecessary. It 
is only just to say, however, that 
while the whole system of erecting 
public buildings by commissions. 



has on general principles been con- 
demned as unwise, nothing against 
the personal character of either or 
any of the commissioners or superin. 
tend en ts was ever substantiated. 

Changes in Commissioners.— In 
April, 1871, the commission was so 
changed as to be constituted as 
follows : Hamilton Harris, William 
C. Kingsley, William A. Rice, 
Chauncey M. Depew, Delos De 
Wolf and Edwin A. Merritt. 

In February, 1875, Mr. Hamilton 
Harris, who had been chairman of 
the board for nearly ten years, re- 
signed. Resident here in Albany, 
and from the first, deeply interested 
in having a capitol worthy of the 
Empire State, his services during 
the critical periods in the building's 
history have been of incalculable 
value and after his resignation, as 
chairman of the finance committee 
of the senate at a time when a most 
determined opposition to any further 
appropriations was made by the 
New York city press, he again 
fought the battles of the capitol 
through to victory. 

On the 21st of June, 1875, the 
entire old board was abolished, and 
the lieutenant-governor (William 
Dorsheimer) the canal auditor (Fran 
cis S.Thayer) and the attorney gen- 
eral (Daniel Pratt) were constituted 
a, new boaxd. Of this board, Lieut, 



I 



Gov. Dorsheimer took an active in- 
terest in completing and furnishing 
the interior, and much of its present 
sumptuousness is due to his taste. 

This board of commissioners was 
superseded by the successors to 
these several ofl&ces, and the com- 
mission as at present constituted 
consists of the lieutenant-governor 
George G. Hoskins, the attorney- 
general, Hamilton Ward ; the audi- 
tor of the canal department, John 
sA. Place. 

Changes in Superintendents. 
In December, 1872, John Bridgford, 
the first superintendent was retired, 
and June 11, 1873, William J. 
McAlpine, who from the beginning 
3f the work, had been the consulting 
3ngineer was appointed superin- 
tendent, and remained such till 
vlay 29, 1874, when James W. 
Saton was appointed in his place, 
itnd still holds the position. 

Change in Architects. — With 
=he abolition of the old commission 
n 1875 came a change in architects. 
Mr. Thomas Fuller being superseded 
Dy an advisory board consisting of 
Frederick Law Olmstead, Leopold 
Sidlitz, and Henry H. Richardson, 
i ill of New York. 

I Up to this time the exterior walls 
I lad been carried up, upon the Fuller 
lolans, a working model of which 
lad been constructed at a cost of 



$3,000, and which was on exhibition 
for several years. Pictures of the 
capitol as it was to have been, had 
also gone broadcast over the land 
and world. This plan was that of 
the Italian Renaissance which was 
now modified to the Romanesque, 
but work had not proceeded far 
when the legislature passed an act 
directing a return to the original 
style and that the building be 
carried up to the roof, in accord- 
ance therewith. This has been done 
so far as possible, although the 
result is what is called by architects 
the Free Renaissance, in which the 
north centre has been completed, a 
correct view of which is given in 
the lithograph accompanying this 
sketch. 

Occupied by the Legislature 
— 'I'he capitol was first occupied by 
the legislature January 7, 1879, the 
senate meeting in the court of ap- 
peals room, the assembly in the 
assembly chamber. The same eve- 
ning a grand reception was given 
by the citizens of Albany, when 
8,000 people were present. Gil- 
more's band, of New York, and 
Austin's orchestra, of Albany, fur- 
nished the music. The supper by 
the Lelands was served under a 
canopy in the central court. 

The formal occupation took place 
on the evening of February 12, 1879 



8 



•when in the presence of both houses 
of the legislature, the court of ap- 
peals, the state oflBcers and others 
assembled in the assembly chamber, 
prayer was offered by Rt. Rev. Wil- 
liam Croswell Doane, D. D., and 
addresses were delivered by Lieut. 
Gov. William Dorsheimer, Speaker 
Thomas G. Alvord and Hon. Erastus 
Brooks. 

Cost Thus Far.— The following 
figures taken from the books of the 
comptroller show the amounts ac 
tiially paid each year by the state 
towards the building of the new 
capitol, the fiscal year ending 
September 1 : 

1863 $51,593 66 

1864 9,453 55 

1865 10,860 08 

1866 65,250 00 

1867 10.000 00 

1868 50,000 00 

1869 451,315 63 

1870 1,223,597 73 

1871 482,942 37 

1872 856,106 98 

1873 1,175,600 00 

1874 610,275 16 

1875 1,392,712 08 

1876 908,487 92 

1877 728,220 20 

1878 1,075,700 00 

1879 982,836 44 

1880 908,363 56 

110,993,215 36 



This includes the cost of the land 
with tne exception of what was given 
by^the city of Albany ($190,000.) 

Description.— No adequate idea 
of the future surroundings of the 
capitol can be obtained from present 
appearances, but when the old capi- 
tol and state library are demolished, 
and the grounds they occupy, 
together with those in front, are laid 
out as they will be, under the super- 
vision of Frederick Law Olmstead, 
to whom the New York Central 
park owes so much of its beauty, the 
approach to this stupendous pile will 
be in keeping with the edifice itself. 
The situation is a most commanding 
one. The Capitol square, which 
embraces all the land between Eagle 
street on the east and Capitol place 
on the west, and between Washing- 
ton avenue on the north and State 
sreet on the south is 1,034 feet long 
by 330 feet wide, and contains 
7 84-100 acres. The elevation of 
Capitol place is 155 feet above the 
level of the Hudson and the ground 
falls off to the eastward 51 feet. In 
front. State street stretches away 
towards the river, one of the broad- 
est and handsomest avenues in the 
country. 

The entrance to the building at 

present is from Washington avenue. 

When completed, admission may be 

had from all four sides, the main 



fi 



f 



9 



entrance on the east being by means 
of magnificent porticos and terraces, 
of which, as yet, no vestige is seen. 

The Size of the structure im- 
presses the beholder at once. It is 
300 feet north and south, by 400 feet 
east and west, and with the porticos 
will cover three acres and 7 square 
feet. The walls are 108 feet high 
from the water table ; and all this is 
chipped outof solid granite brought, 
most of it, from Hallowell, Maine. 

There are other buildings which 
in the mere matter of area exceed 
this one. The capitol at Washing- 
ton for instance, covers a little over 
three and a half acres, but it is of 
marble and of sandstone painted 
white. The new city hall in Philadel- 
phia, covers nearly 4^ acres, but that 
also, is of marble. The government 
buildings at Ottawa, Canada, are of 
sandstone. All lack the massive 
effect which this great pile of 
granite invariably produces. Its 
outer wall at the base, is 16 feet 4 
inches thick. 

Entering the building at nearly a 
level with Was'.iington avenue, the 
visitor finds himself, in what in the 
original designs was called the base- 
ment story, underneath ponderous 
arches of stone. The floor is hand., 
somely tiled : here are telegraph 
offices, committee rooms, etc., bu^ 
nothing to long detain the visitor^ 



unless it be to glance at the centra 
c urt,l 37 feet by 92, which extends 
an open space to the sky. This 
will, doubtless, in time be orna- 
mented with a fountain, statues, 
etc., but at present only affords 
much needed light and air. 

The Grand Stair Case. — Pass- 
ing along to the left and turning a 
corner, we come to the grand stair 
case, which, considering the difficult 
ties to overcome because of its posi- 
tion, may justly be styled a triumph 
of art. It is of sandstone, its ascent 
is easy, its design vigorous and scho- 
larly. At one side is an elevator 
(one of five which are kept running 
during the session of the legislature), 
but the visitor in order to leisurely 
study the beauties of this grand 
stairway, will generally prefer to 
walk. This feature suffers some- 
what from the imperfect light ; for 
though the whole top opening has 
been glazed, the details of the lower 
flights cannot be well seen. 

The Golden Corridor. — On 
arriving upon the next floor, the 
first thing to attract the eye is the 
Golden Corridor, a vision of beauty 
which brings an exclamation of 
delight to every lip. It is 140 feet 
long by 20 wide and about 25 feet 
high, extending along the whole 
" court " side of the north centre. 
Seven large windows opening upon 



10 



tliis court divide the corridor into 
bays, 20 feet square. Each bay is 
bounded by piers between which 
arches are turned and these arches 
sustain a low and ribless groined 
Tault. Mr. Montgomery Schuyler 
writing in Scribner's Monthly says : 
"The piers are covered with a damask 
of red upon umber. The angle mold- 
ings are solidly gilded. The crimson 
wall screen on both sides is over 
laid with a simple reticulation of 
gold lines framing ornaments in 
yellow. The whole vault is gilded 
and upon its ground of gold, traver- 
sing each face of the vault, is a 
series of bands of minute ornament 
in brown, scarlet and deep blue. 
The method — this close mosaic of 
minute quantities of crude color — 
is entirely Oriental ; and the elFect 
is Oriental also. The varying sur- 
faces of the vaulting, each covered 
with fretted gold, give a vista, 
lengthened by the dwindling arches, 
alive with flashing lights and shim- 
medng shadows ; and under the 
iridescent ceiling there seems always 
to hang a luminous haze. In the 
quality of pure splendor there is no 
architectural decorati(ui in this 
country which is comparable to 
this " 

During the sessions of tlie legis- 
lature the spaces in front of the 
windows are filled with rare exotics. 



and altogether aflEording a desired 
relief from the heavy effect pro- 
duced by such a mass of granite. 
Here in time, will be placed statues 
of public men and possibly other 
work of art. 

Court of Appeals. — Stepping 
through a door to the right, in an 
instant the scene changes. We are 
in the chamber of the Court of 
Appeals the highest tribunal in the 
state. Here is the abode of wisdom, 
dignity and justice, where a riot 
of color such as we have just left 
would be clearly out of place. 
The room is 60 feet square and 25 
feet high, subdivided into parallelo- 
grams one twice the width of the mI 
other, by a line of red granite ' 
columns carrying with broad low 
arches a marble wall. The walls 
are of sandstone, visible in some 
places but covered in most with a 
decoration in deep red, and with the 
tall wainscoting of oak, which occu- 
pies the wall above the daOo of sand- 
stone. The ceiling is a superb 
construction in carved oak carried 
on a system of beams diminishing 
in size from the great girders sup- 
ported by great braces which stretch 
from wall to wall, and finally closed 
by oaken panels, profusely carved. 

The Assembly Chamber. — As- 
cending another flight of the grand 
stair case, we come to what is, with- 



11 



.out doubt, the sfrandest legislative 
hall in the world, the assembly 
chamber, 84 by 140 feet, includino- 
the galleries, although the chamber 
proper is but 84 by 55. Four great 
pillars, four feet thick, of red gran- 
ite, sustain the largest groined 
stone arch in tlie world, the key- 
stone being 56 feet from the floor. 
These pillars and the ai-ch which 
springs from them are the most 
striking features of the room, but it 
will bear a world of study. Mr. 
j Schuyler says : " The perspective 
I of the room is so arranged that from 
the entrance one looks through the 
' large end of the telescope, as it were 
down vistas framed in arches nar- 
rowing and vaults hanging lower as 
I they recede, from the great red pil- 
lars on either hand along the vast 
! and ever varying surfaces of the 
ceilings, their creamy sandstone 
faces divided by the sweeping lines 
of the deeper toned ribs and arches 
that uphold them, and fretted with 
wide belts of ornament climbing 
.heir climbing.courses, touched with 
the gleam of gold and standing out 
from hollows filled with deep ultra 
marine and burning, veimilion to 
' the dark backward and abysm ' of 
the remotest vault. Through the 
lower arches one sees the opening of 
the windows which flood the tran- 
sej)t, not with the dim religious 



light of old cathedrals, but with 
naked and open daylight. Around 
them wheel the intricate arabesques 
of their arches defined against a 
ground of vermilion and circled 
with bands of gold. Above and 
between the lower three, beneath 
the broad belt which is some day to 
carry a sculptured procession, the 
whole wall is covered with arabes- 
ques in a field of dull red. Above 
the upper arcade ure glimpses of the 
draperies and the attitudes of colos- 
sal painted figures. 

" One feels at once in this great 
stone room that he is in the pre- 
sence of a noble monument, and that 
in what a musician would call the 
' dispersed harmony ' of this hier- 
archy of ordered masses, and this 
balance and opposition of sweeping 
curves there has been achieved in 
the America of the nineteenth cen 
tury a work not unworthy to be 
compared with what has been done 
in more famous building ages. 
When the shock of such an impres- 
sion has subsided, and he has time 
to examine the sources of this effect, 
he finds them in the general con- 
ception of the room rather than in 
any of its parts, or in any aggrega, 
tion of them less than the whole 
Here is a distinctly gothic room, 
which in its plan has so many 
resemblances to ;i mediaeval church 



12 

that it cannot be described without The Allegorical Pictures. — 
using the terms of ecclesiology, No one feature of the capitol has 
which jet has probably never re- caused more comment than the pic- 
minded a sing-le visitor of a church, tures that occupy the upper portion 
Its civic character has been impressed of the north and south walls of this 
upon it by the force of design alone> cliamber. 'i'hey were painted by the 
and mainly by the modeling of its late William M. Hunt, one of the 
masses, aftrr the noble arrangement greatest of American artists, and pos- 
which this modeling assists. There sess a melancholy interest from the 
is a vigor in it which reminds one fact that they are the only work of the 
of Romanesque or early gotbic, but kind he ever did. He received for 
it has none of the rudeness of his services the sum of $15,000. 
Romanesque vaulted architecture, , The space covered by each is 15. 
and none of the tentative imperfec- b}'" 45 feet. That on the northern 
tion of early gothic work. Except wall represents the allegory of 
in one conspicuous instance, the Armujd and Ahriman, or the flight 
structure is completely developed, of evil before good, or, as it is more 
and complete development is the generally interpreted, the Flight of 
mark of the perfected gothic. This Night. The Queen of Night is 
completeness, however, nowhere driving bc-fore the dawn, charioted 
degenerates into the attenuation on clouds drawn by three plunging 
that comes Of excessive subdivi" horses, one white, one black, one 
sion — nowhere into a loss of that red, without other visible restraint 
sense of power which belongs than that of a swarthy guide, who 
to unhewn masses fulfilling struc- floats at the left of the picture, and 
tural necessities. There is nothing whose hand is lightly laid upon the 
here of which one may say : head of the outermost horse. At 
* 'Twere to consider too curiously, the right of the goddess, and in deep 
to consider so.' Neither is there shade, is the recumbent figure of a 
anything of that ascetic intensity sleeping mother with a sleeping 
which most of all has set its stamp child upon her breast, 
upon the ecclesiastical work of the The picture on the southern wall 
middle ages. This work is as day- represents the Discoverer standing 
lit as Grecian Doric. It is frank upright in a boat, dark against a 
and manly, and it is eminently sunset sky, Fortune erect behind 
alive -7- distinctly a product of our him trimming the sail with her lifted 
time." left hand while her right holds the 



13 

tiller. The boat is rising to a sea, those who frequented Mr Hunt'g 
and is attended by Hope at the prow studio. It is in fact a flying cloud, 
with one arm resting on it, and one tbe , substance and movement' of 
pointing forward ; Faith, whose face which is figured by the suggestion 
is buried in her arms, and who is of an jierial chariot drawn by three 
floating with the tide, and Science plLmgin<2- steeds, to the mane of 
unrolling a chart at the side. oiie of which clings a torch-bearing 

Van Brunt's Criticism. — Henry groom rather guiding than restrain- 
Van Brunt in an article in the At- ing the downward flight. High upon 
lantic Monthly (May, 1879), charac- the cloudy seat, sits a female figure 
terizes these pictures as " the most directing the vision with a gesture 
important of the kind yet, executed of her hand ; and below, enveloped 
in this country," criticises them at in a shadowy fold of fleecy drapery 
length as architectural decorations, dimly portrayed, is a sleeping woman 
and concludes asfollows: " We can- with a child, and over her hovers a 
not but consider that the opportunity liitle protecting spirit. The visionary 
has been misunderstood in a funda- character of the composition is un- 
mental point, and that work of a far encumbered by any material appli- 
lower grade, than that of Mr, Hunt ances. There are no reins, no 
would have better served the pur- harness, no chariot, no wheels. It 
pose. With all his strength of will, is a precipitous movement of vapor 
with all his skill in the adaptation poetically set forth with a superb 
of his tones, and all his fiery deter- flight of horses,and enough of human 
mination of drawing, he has been interest in the figure to suggest a 
unable to conquer a right to fill sucli meaning w^hich eacli can interpret in 
spaces with such work. It is a waste his own way. It is a very,t^ne point 
of great resources." in the sentiment of the picture that 

The writer then proceeds to con. the allegory is not forced upon the 
sider these works of art simply as spectatdr by the insistence of vulgar 
pictures and says : "The artist has accessories. The horses are drawn 
symbolized the simultaneous occur- with magnificent spirit and with the 
rence of the revival of letters and confidence and elait of a master, 
the discovery of America by the The human figures are little more 
allegories of the Flight of Night and than suggestive ; they are fleeting 
the Discoverer. The former has in visions, — a part of a cloudy pageant 
its elements long been familiar to When illuminated by bright sun 



14 



light, or by tlie artificial liglitiiig of 
the chamber at night, the vigorous 
mechanism of outline and color 
which are contrived to produce an 
effect, are somewhat unpleasantly- 
betrayed. In the half light of the 
afternoon, the very qualities which 
are crudities at other times contri- 
bute to make up a pictorial harmony 
of the most effective and poetic 
kind. 

"The same may be said with even 
greater force of the Discoverer. A 
Hamlet like man, in armor and 
cloak, stands conspicuous in a boat 
riding half disclosed upon a billowy 
swell of the ocean. Behind him, at 
the helm and holding a bellying- sail 
of drapery, stands a winged female 
figure in an attitude of dignity, 
somewhat like that suggested by 
the Venus of Milo ; and upon the 
prow, with her outlines defined 
against a bright rift in the western 
sky, leans a spirit of the water, 
with a frank, onward look and a 
gesture significant of confident hope. 
This figure seems to us the best in 
the group ; it is beautifully drawn, 
and plays a happy part in the com- 
position. Two other female figures 
float upon the waves. We have 
thus Fortune at the helm and Hope 
at the prow. The guide-book shall 
interpret the rest of the allegory, 
which to us, as compared with that. 



portrayed on the opposite wall is 
wanting in significance, and made 
up of too many elements and of too 
much of materialism to leave upon 
the mind a concrete poetic image. 
The composition is wanting in sim- 
plicity, and the effect of the whole 
depends upon a momentary incident; 
the next instant of time beyond that 
depicted, the next wash of the un- 
certain billows, will evidently throw 
the whole group into confusion. 
This impending catastrophe seems 
in some way to detract from the 
dignity of the allegory. The 
masters of the Renaissance, when 
they chose a sea pomp for their sub- 
jects, such as the Triumph of 
Galetea, the Rape of Europa, and 
the Venus Anadyomene managed 
to spare us from doubts of this kind 
by a more multitudinous grouping 
of figures capable of falling into 
new combinations without loss of 
harmony. But Mr. Hunt's allegory 
is disjointed, and appears to need 
some harmonizing element to give 
us that feeling of security which 
accompanies the floating and flying 
group of Guido, Rubens, and Anni- 
bale Caracci. The idea of the 
Flight of JSight is in this respect 
admirable ; in a moment the cloudy 
vision will have departed leaving a 
serene sky, and space for all the 
succeeding pageants of civilization.' ' 



15 



' The Furniture and belongings 
of the assembly chamber are in 
I excellent taste. A handsome red 
car]3et covers the floors ; the curtains 
are of rich colors ; the desks are of 
solid mahogany ; the chairs are up- 
holstered in red leather ; the gfas 
fixtures are in the shape of standards 
of bright brass, and when tlie room 
is lighted at night, the scene is 
brilliant beyond description. On 
■Monday nights when the assembly 
is usually in session, the galleries 
are thronged with ladies, attracted, 
it is feared, more by the elegance of 
the legislative halls, than by the 
eloquence of the legislators. 
I Other Booms. — There are other 
rooms in the completed part of the 
building, but none of them are of 
striking- interest to the visitor, who 
will find in the halls already alluded 
to, enough to examine and admire 
for hours. The committee rooms, 
I libraries, mailing room, document 
rooms, post-offices, etc,, are all con- 
i venient, and well appointed. 

The Uncompleted Portion, 
— To the uncompleted portion the 
visitor is not allowed access. This 
j comprises the entire front of the 
'; building, the southern half and the 
jWest end. It is expected, how- 
j ever, that the governor's rooms and 
I the senate chamber will be in readi- 
jness by the 1st of January, 1881. 
The former, or the ex^ cutive cham- 
bers, as they are called, are in the 
south-east corner, on the same floor 
(With the court of appeals, a most 
1 3harming location. The rooms are 
being fitted up with great elegance. 
jThe senate chamber on the floor 
ibove, will be one of the finest 
i''ooms in the building. It is now 
• Doing finished in Tennessee marble, 
ihaste and beautiful. The corridors 
n this portion are also being wains- 
coted with marble. 
The state library which will oc- 



cupy the entire front of the two 
upper stories, is believed will be the 
most attractive room, perhaps, in 
the world. In height it will be two 
of the outer stories. The view from 
its windows will be of entrancing 
loveliness, overlooking the city, and 
for many miles up and down the 
beautiful Hudson. 

Of these uncompleted portions it 
is not now our province to speak, but 
taking what has already been done 
by the present architects and superin- 
tendent as an earnest of what they 
will accomplish in the future, there 
is every reason to believe that the 
building as it approaches completion 
will each year become more and 
more the pride and glory of the 
Empire State. 

The money expended in its con- 
struction will not have been wasted. 
It is true the h gislature of New 
York might have deliberated in 
halls 'hat would not have cost a 
tenth part as much ; but the capitol 
of such a state should mean some- \ 
thing more than mere rooms in 
which laws are made and mended. 
It should be, as this is, a grand 
monument to the spirit of progress 
and civilization. 

And the influence of such an 
edifice is not confined by the bound- 
aries of states or countries. The find 
arts everywhere are stimulated and 
strengthened by such a structure. 
As Clarence Cook says: 

'' There is nothing like a great ar- 
chitectural undertaking, with its 
implied accompaniment of sculpture 
and painting to create a love of art 
in a community, and New York has 
the proud distinction of being first 
of the States of the Union to have 
lighted in her capitol a beacon fire 
that shall call all the arts together 
and set them at work in noble tasks 
for her behoof." 



V 



CAPITOL COMMISSIONERS, 



The Lieutenant Governor, 
George G. Hoskins. 

The Attorney General, 
* Hamilton Ward. 

The Auditor of the Canal Department, 
John A. Place. 



ADVISORY BOARD OF ARCHITECTS. 

Frederick Law Olmstead, 
Leopold Eidlitz, 
Henry H. Eichardson. 



SUPERINTENDENT 
James W. Eaton. 



This pamphlet is for sale by Timothy C Havens, 
New Capitol, Albany, N. Y. 

Will be sent by mail on receipt of 15 cents. 



f 

HISTORY 



DESCRIPTION 



Vapiiol ai jiTbany 



iWitli Picture of tlie Com.pletecl Portion. 



ALBANY, N. Y 

1880. 



THE VOICE 



Official organ Music Teachers' National 
Association. 

Is devoted to voice culture in Singing, 
Eeading and Speaking; tells how to treat 

S T|^ T T E I^ I 3^ a- , 

Stammering and other vocal defects; con- 
tains letters from Speech-Sufferers, 
biographical sketches of Musicians, Elo- 
cutionists and Orators, the history of 
and essays on Music, hints on 

ELOOTJTIOIJT, 

Articles on Spelling Eeform, and trans- 
lations of GrERMAN and French Methods 
and writings, explains principles and 
utility of 

JPiihlished monthly, $1 ay ear ; single copy, 10c. Send 
for prospectus. 

.^^d-ciress THE TTOIOB, 

461 Broad\^^ay, 

AL.BAKY, N. Y. 



A. BOOK J^BOTJT ^IMERlC^lSr ACTORS. 



PMTEBS Of A Olif VII. 



By EC. F. PHELPS. 

Seco3n.cL ZEd-itiozi -^T^-itli. Portraits. 



Over 400 pages, filled with Sketches, Criticisms^ 
and Anecdotes. 



[Mw York Wondy (April 5, 1880.)] 

'ndestly professes to be only a record of tlie Albany stage since the 
xkevoiuiionary era. But its pages really contain crisply written and clearly 
arrancjed sketches of all the famous actors and actresses who have played 
in New York within the period covered by this record, together with brief 
references to all the popular plays of the old and new eras. One especial 
excellence is its painstaking accuracy, and another is an index so complete 
that Mr. Phelps's book may almost be used as a dramatic encyclo- 
paedia. 

[London Theatre, (July, 1880.)] 
It is a history of the drama in America of rare interest. 

Sent by mail on receipt of $1,50. 

Address THE V^OIOE, 

461 Broadivay, 

ALBANY, N. Y. 



THE 

ALBANY HAND-BOOK 



I 



18 8 1. 



A ■ j 

STRANGERS' GUIDE AND RESIDENTS' MANUAL." 

The first volume of The Albany Hand Book is nearly ready and will 
hereafter be published annually, in neat and convenient form. Price, 
twenty-five cents. 

It will be similar in design and arrangement to the new Dictionaries of 
New York and London, now so deservedly popular, and of which many 
thousand copies have been sold. 

It will serve -as a convenient and useful guide to all places of interest 
in Albany, especially to the New Capitol, Washington Park, and the 
Rural Cemetery. 

It will contain a yearly chronicle of locsl events" — in icself w^orth the 
price of the book. 

It will give, convenient for reference, the election returns'from every 
ward in the city. 

It will contain a street directory ; brief histories of the churches, schools, 
public charities, and prominent business houses ; much information rela- 
tive to the city government, fire and police departments ; many curious 
and almost forgotten facts in the history of Albany, and much other matter 
which can not here be alluded to; the- whole compiled and edited by Mr. 
H. P. Phelps, author of " Players of a Century ; a Record of the Albany 
Stage." 



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